As a God-fearing woman, wife, mother of three, I decided to take up this challenge once again to run for parliament in the upcoming election on February 26, 2018.
My reason for doing so is the fact that through the years I have seen a lot of changes in Sint Maarten. Some good and some extremely bad that were not in the best interest of our people. Sint Maarten has become a country of many surprises, especially by those in whom we have put our trust, whereas you can wake up one morning and hear that the government has fallen.
You sit to listen to a parliamentary debate and suddenly votes of non-confidence are passing. You vote for a politician on a certain party and before you know it he or she has jumped on another party. Can I still have trust in our leaders who were elected to lead, but are taken up by greed? My parents didn’t raise me this way. They raised me on values like honesty, trustworthiness, staying true to your word and putting others above self.
I am a proud daughter of the soil and granddaughter of the late Leopold Hyman, Oswald Peterson, Ernestine Brooks, all of whom were outstanding and well-known citizens of Sint Maarten. I also want to give honor to my parents Francisco and Olympia Peterson-Hyman because without them I would not have become the person I am today.
They raised me to be an honest and humble young woman with integrity and they taught me that in life, if you want something, you must work hard and honestly for it. They also taught me to speak up for what is right.
I love my country and it hurts to see when our leaders that we have elected do not live up to their responsibilities or keep their promises. It is unacceptable when our people are the last to get information on what is happening in government and in our country and sometimes they get no information at all.
Our parliamentarians are elected to work in the interest of our people, but it seems like their work is based on self-interest. They are supposed to be transparent and tell us, the citizens, what is going on. Our people are hurting and suffering. We need consumer protection, protection of insurance schemes, Housing development protection. We need to amend outdated laws and legislate new laws convenient for our country.
Our local entrepreneurs need startup tax incentives. There are many more issues that I can mention. Yet, it seems like our elected leaders have turned a blind eye to the needs of our people. Our people are hurting! We need to tackle the problems directly and from the heart. We need to change the way we deal with the people’s business.
This is the reason why I chose to run again on the Sint Maarten Christian Party. Their slogan: SERVING THE PEOPLE FOR A CHANGE still resonates with my spirit. Besides, the values and principles that the party stands for such as integrity, honesty, transparency, loyalty, accountability, form part of my upbringing.
We are in a crucial time St. Maarten. Wake up before it’s too late! Elect people who have a heart for the people and the country. Elect people who care and who feel the daily pain of the nation and who understand what our people are going through. Elect a people of faith, for a country without God is hopeless.
I believe that if we stand for nothing we shall continue to fall for anything. So, let us humble ourselves and show the world that we are a people that needs that dire change.
Elect Francelise A. MAURICIA-PETERSON #7 on the SMCP list and let me serve you and Sint Maarten for a change.
I will continue to introduce myself more in the coming days.
Francelise Mauricia-Peterson
